https://www.facebook.com/groups/APFActionNetworkFlorida/
There is this closed chronic pain group that I belong to, back in 2012 they had a rally at the Florida Capital while the legislature was in session. Just after Gov Scott & AG Bondi came to power. They gathered a lot of media attention at the time.
They were planning another rally this year… the people in the dept at the state house that grants permits for such rallies, kept screwing around for a month or more granting a single date. All kind of excuses, emails, phone calls not returned.. The person in charge of getting this date was quite clear that the group wanted a date when the legislators were in session…
Finally this week the group was provided a date… April 3, 2015 a four hour window to legally rally/demonstrate at the state house.. The members of the group was all putting together the details of getting themselves there for the rally..
As I was looking at my calendar last night I noticed that April 3rd is GOOD FRIDAY.. a little more research and it would appear that GOOD FRIDAY in a dozen or so states – INCLUDING FLORIDA – is a STATE HOLIDAY…
So the group got a date to rally at the Capital/Legislator … WHEN NO ONE WAS GOING TO BE HOME !
Anyone want to take a guess how effective a rally will be to make an impression on the legislators when THEY AREN’T THERE.. and since they are not there.. what is the chance that the media will be “hanging around” that day???
You are telling me that state employees don’t know when there are state holidays.. that they DON’T HAVE TO WORK ? The same employees that are organizing these lists and assigning dates/times for various groups to have a rally on PUBLIC PROPERTY ?
There has been a lot of news lately about pts not getting their medically necessary meds in Florida on the local TV channels… Don’t these state employees work directly/indirectly for Gov Scott & Bondi ? Could there be some undue influence on these employees to manipulate dates assigned based on some approved/disapproved list from one of these offices ?
I guess that it is hard to suppress the FREE PRESS… but.. I guess that it is much easier to suppress FREE SPEECH from individuals or small groups..
That report last night on ABC station in Tampa http://www.abcactionnews.com/money/consumer/taking-action-for-you/legitmate-patients-say-they-are-living-with-pain-after-pharmacies-turn-them-away
Rep Bilirakis is introducing a bill to allow legit pts to get their meds… IMO.. that is PURE BS… just call the AG before Congress you know the one that is already in CONTEMPT of Congress and have them go after the wholesalers who are restricting trade and rationing what a pharmacy can purchase. The last I heard, there was no wholesaler rationing for hospitals, nursing homes and hospice pharmacies… only community/retail pharmacy. I have a app on my IPHONE that tells me what medications are in manufacturer back order and out of the 300 currently listed.. there are TWO opiate based meds.. neither one a highly used dosage form. There is NO EVIDENCE of a shortage of opiates from the manufacturers.
That is what we need more laws, when we can’t get the DOJ to enforce the laws on the books.
IMO… the bottom line to get this train back on the track is going to fall on the backs of the pts that are being abused/tortured and kept in pain.
I have created a couple of template letters on http://www.chronicpainresourcecenter.com/
Filed under: General Problems
Chronic pain patients also need to remain steadfast and avoid convoluting a fine line between legitimate pain patients and recreational drug use so that these people (legislators) take us seriously. The worst thing we could do is prove them (DEA spokesperson, Bondi and Scott) right, that 200+ emails are not legitimate chronic pain patients who are trying to live a basic functional quality of life but rather a bunch of drug abusers trying to get high … I will defer to “The Man in Black” and quote “Walk the Line.”
These legislators/politicians will find anyway to discredit us. Maybe they don’t see credibility in this group and thus gave them a date that will cause them the least amount of grief. Not saying this is the case but definitely a possibility. This is a political fight so anyone who advocates will need to behave like a politician.
We get warnings from Cardinal distribution that our quota is nearing and our DM tells us to hold of ordering, say, oxycodone or Adderall for a couple weeks. it seems crazy but it’s happening.
But we never lie to our patients. We fill it if we have it. If we don’t have it, we call around to see who does.
Then PalphPH you’re the only one who calls around to see who has the meds if your pharmacy is out because I have been told by over 30 pharmacists that they legally cannot call any other pharmacy to see if they have the specific med in stock. We have to actually drive to many pharmacies to see if they have the meds. Every single pedspn I know id’s told the same thing.
I practice in Indiana, but primarily in Long Term Care (temp) when I have worked retail, I have called nearby pharmacies for patients if we were out of certain CIIs, generally if it was one of our established patients because if they did have it in stock I would then vouch for them on the phone and give that pharmacy their name so they would know who was coming. There is no law per se, many do not call for security reasons. But like I said, for a patient I know, I would call for them.